PROP A REJECTION SENDS TAXATION MESSAGE

Following Tuesday's voting, much of Missouri's attention has been drawn to the failure of Proposition B, which would have allowed qualified residents to carry concealed weapons. But there was an even stronger message contained in the results on Proposition A, which was turned down by a decisive 57 percent of the state's voters.

Proposition A, which received very little pre-election publicity, would have allowed a 50-cent-a-month charge to cover the costs of a statewide 911 emergency telephone system for cell-phone users. The tax would have been paid only by cell-phone users.

One reason there was so little attention paid to Proposition A was because just about everyone thought it would surely pass. The Legislature was so confident of its passage that it has already given the green light to $352,000 in funding to get the cell-phone 911 system going.

The intent of Proposition A seemed to be good. All across the state, 911 systems have been developed, usually with the help of local taxation, and have provided invaluable life-saving services to individuals in need of emergency assistance.

But cell-phone users too often are unable to get quick assistance when they dial 911. That's the nature of cell phones. While you may need emergency help in one part of the state, your 911 call from a cell phone might go to a different part of the state. This confusion can lead to the loss of critical minutes in responding to an emergency.

Proposition A would have allowed a funding mechanism for cell-phone users to bear the cost of a 911 system specifically for cell-phone users. And 50 cents a months? No one thought that would be too much a tax burden for Missouri voters.

Wrong.

One message to be gleaned from the rejection of Proposition A is that Missouri voters are in no mood for a tax increase. Period.

The results of the Prop A voting should be a signal for those around the state who think there may be other taxing opportunities. Remember the short-lived idea last year of an increase in the state sales tax to pay for highway and transportation needs?

Tuesday's vote on Prop A tells us that, given the opportunity, voters aren't likely to pass many statewide tax plans. This may be because they see what has happened to state spending in recent years. It may be because they see the state issuing refunds for collecting too much from taxes in the first place. It may be because voters lack confidence in just about any state tax scheme right now.

Whatever the reasons, the Prop A vote is a good lesson for Missouri.